Aerator for faucets or the like



RG. l.

June 23., 1964 G. HlNDERr-:R 3,138,332

AERATOR FOR FAUCETS 0R THE LIKE Filed May 14, 1962 INVENTOR. 60 TTL 06 Afm/DEEE@ T TOQA/Eys.

United States Patent O 3,138,332 AERATOB FOR FAUCETS OR THE LIKE Gottlob Hinderer, Sylmar, Calif., assigner to Price-Pfister Brass Manufacturing Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed May 14, 1962, Ser. No. 194,390 2 Claims. (Cl. 239-427) This invention relates to the aeration of liquids, such as of a stream of water from a tap.

Aerators of various kinds, adapted to be connected to the spout of a faucet, are now in general use. These aerators cause fine bubbles of air to be entrained in the stream, whereby the tendency of the stream to splash when it hits a surface is greatly reduced.

The process of aeration is effected by first splitting the stream of water, passing air to the divided stream, and then recombining the divided stream.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a simple and effective aerator of this general character.

It is another object of this invention to provide separation or division of the stream by a compact and inexpensive spreader plate, that discharges the water as a series of small streams adjacent the periphery of the plate.

This invention possesses many other advantages and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of several embodiments of the invention. For this purpose, there are shown a few forms in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification, and which drawings, unless as otherwise indicated, are true scale. These forms will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of an aerator incorporating the invention, shown as installed on a nozzle.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken along the planes corresponding to lines 2-2 and 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a pictorial view of an aerator showing the parts in exploded position; and

FIG. 5 is a View similar to FIG. 1, of another form of the invention.

In FIG. 1 the nozzle 1 is shown as provided with an internally threaded ange 2. Engaging this flange is the exteriorly threaded upper portion 3 of the casing 4. The casing 4 has an inwardly directed flange 5 upon which may be tted a brass wire screen 6 of appropriate mesh (FIG. 4). Successive screens 7 and 8 are disposed above screen 6 and the screens are separated by the resilient rings 9 and 10. A similar ring 11 is disposed above the uppermost screen 8. These rings are preferably made of resilient rubberlike material such as nylon, which closely it the internal cylindrical surface of the casing 4.

Disposed at a substantial distance above the uppermost screen 8 is a plate 12. This plate 12 is shown in FIG. 2 as being provided with two annular rows of apertures 13 and 14 near the periphery of the plate 12 and spaced from the center of the plate. The plate 12 has an outwardly directed ange 15 disposed above the upper surface of the plate 12 to define a shallow recess 16. Overlying the ange 15 is a disc 17 having a center opening 18. Above the disc 17 is a rubber washer 19 seating on the shoulder 20 formed within the nozzle 1.

Inwardly directed ange 26 of the casing 4 engages the lower surface of the ange 15. Accordingly, as the casing 4 is threaded into the flange 2, the rubber washer ice 19 may be compressed by the force urging the flange 15 upwardly against the disc 17. A seal is thus effected between the aerator casing 4 and nozzle 1.

In order to provide aeration, the casing 4 has a series of openings 21 shown to best advantage in FIG. 2. These are formed as slots in the wall of the casing 4 and are adjacent the lower surface of the plate 12.

When water flows downwardly through the nozzle 1, it passes through aperture 18 and impinges upon the upper surface of the plate 12. The dispersed stream flows radially outwardly and then through the openings 13 and 14 at a point adjacent the slots or openings 21. Air is injected into the stream of water by the passage of the water in divided form past the openings 21. The stream of water then passes through the screens 8, 7 and 6 and finally discharges through the bottom of the casing 4. Aeration is accomplished through a relatively short travel of the stream. Since the openings 13 and 14 are quite a distance from the center of the plate 12, ample opportunity is afforded for the air passing through the inlet openings 21 to be inducted into the stream of water.

The form shown in FIG. 5 is substantially identical with the form shown in FIG. 1. In this case, however, the nozzle 22 is provided with external threads 23 adapted to be engaged by the internally threaded upper end 24 of the casing 25. Otherwise, this casing 25 is similar to casing 4; the casing 25 carries the identical parts 12 and 19 as well as the screens S, 7 and 6. The operation of both forms is identical.

The inventor claims:

l. In an aerator:

a generally circular plate having a series of apertures adjacent the periphery of the plate encircling a central area that is free from openings;

said plate having an axially offset flange extending radially outwardly;

a disc having a single central aperture, and peripherally seating on the plate flange, said disc defining with said plate a shallow space between the disc and the plate;

said central aperture being disposed in alignment with the said central area of said plate; and

a hollow casing having an upper inlet opening and a lower outlet opening;

said casing having an intermediate inwardly directed flange forming a surface facing the inlet opening of said casing;

said casing ange forming a seat for the plate flange whereby the plate is suspended so that it projects with clearance toward the outlet end of the casing from the level of said casing flange;

said casing having provisions for attachment to a nozzle;

said casing also having a series of lateral air inlet openings located at least partially above and partially below the level of the lower surface of the plate whereby air is entrained in the jet streams created by the apertures of the plate and at the area of said apertures.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which the casing is provided with a second inwardly extending flange to define the outlet opening, with the addition of one or more screens resting upon said second flange.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,633,343 Aghnides Mar. 3l, 1953 2,799,487 Aghnides July 16, 1957 2,849,217 Bachli et a1 Aug. 26, 195-8 

1. IN AN AERATOR: A GENERALLY CIRCULAR PLATE HAVING A SERIES OF APERTURES ADJACENT THE PERIPHERY OF THE PLATE ENCIRCLING A CENTRAL AREA THAT IS FREE FROM OPENINGS; SAID PLATE HAVING AN AXIALLY OFFSET FLANGE EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY; A DISC HAVING A SINGLE CENTRAL APERTURE, AND PERIPHERALLY SEATING ON THE PLATE FLANGE, SAID DISC DEFINING WITH SAID PLATE A SHALLOW SPACE BETWEEN THE DISC AND THE PLATE; SAID CENTRAL APERTURE BEING DISPOSED IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE SAID CENTRAL AREA OF SAID PLATE; AND A HOLLOW CASING HAVING AN UPPER INLET OPENING AND A LOWER OUTLET OPENING; SAID CASING HAVING AN INTERMEDIATE INWARDLY DIRECTED FLANGE FORMING A SURFACE FACING THE INLET OPENING OF SAID CASING; SAID CASING FLANGE FORMING A SEAT FOR THE PLATE FLANGE WHEREBY THE PLATE IS SUSPENDED SO THAT IT PROJECTS WITH CLEARANCE TOWARD THE OUTLET END OF THE CASING FROM THE LEVEL OF SAID CASING FLANGE; SAID CASING HAVING PROVISIONS FOR ATTACHMENT TO A NOZZLE; SAID CASING ALSO HAVING A SERIES OF LATERAL AIR INLET OPENINGS LOCATED AT LEAST PARTIALLY ABOVE AND PARTIALLY BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE LOWER SURFACE OF THE PLATE WHEREBY AIR IS ENTRAINED IN THE JET STREAMS CREATED BY THE APERTURES OF THE PLATE AND AT THE AREA OF SAID APERTURES. 